Gaseous electric discharge lamp device



Dec. 21, 1937. K. WEIDHAAS GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMP DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1934 INVENTOR M 7/ H (f. 5 ATTORNEY a at 2,3lll3,il4i8 GASIEOIUS ELECTREC DHSCHARGE LAME DEVICE Karl Weidhaas, Berlin-Treptow, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 9, 1934, Serial No. 7%,937 in Germany January 12, 11933 4 Claims. (@l. 176-1) The present invention relates to gaseous elecan envelope 5. Said envelope l is tubular in tric discharge lamp devices and more particularshape and the end thereof is enlarged and subly the invention relates to lamp units incorporatstantially spherical in shape. Said container 2 ing such devices wherein the series resistance is supported in said envelope l by support wires for the discharge device is in the form of an inand t sealed into the pinch-part 3 of the stem candescent filament and is a light emitting elei of said envelope 5. Said envelope I is proment. vided with a screw-base 9 of conventional design When the container of the electric discharge having a contact button 8 insulated from the device and the incandescent filament are mountshell of said base 9 which shell is another con- 10 ed in a common envelope provided with a screwtact. Said support 5 is connected to contact 8 10 base a lamp unit emitting mixed light from both by lead I, indicated in dotted lines in the drawthe incandescent filament and the gaseous elecing, and to the current lead of the electrode w. tric discharge is made available for illuminating Said support 6 is connected to the current lead. purposes or the like. I have observed that when of the electrode ll. Said electrodes ill and H the discharge device has a tubular container and consist of a coiled metal wire, such as a tung- 15 the envelope an elongated bulb shape the lamp stem or nickel'filament, coated or impregnated unit frequently fails when the longitudinal axis with an electron emitting material, such as of the container is located in the longitudinal barium oxide, and are electron emitting when axis of the envelope or at right angles thereto. heated. Two perforated metal discs l2 and I3 The object of the present invention is to proare adjacent and interposed between the elec- 20 vide a lamp unit of, the above type having a long trodes it] and H respectively. Said discs i2 and useful operating life. Another object of the G3 are supported by wires M and I5 sealed into invention is to provide such a lamp unit wherethe ends of said container 2. Said wire it is in the emitted light is utilized to the best advanconnected to the current lead 1 through resisttage for illuminating purposes. Still further obance 16. A support wire I? for the filament I9 5 jects and advantages attaching to the device is sealed into the pinch part 3 of said stem 4 and to its use and operation will be apparent to and said wire I! is connected by lead M to the those skilled in the art from the following parcontact shell of the base 9. The filament i9 ticular description. consists of a coiled tungsten wire and is heated to Cir iii

The invention attains its objects by mounting incandescence during the operation of th gase- 30 v the container of the discharge device at an acute ous electric discharge device. Said filament l9 angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the is likewise supported by the support 6 and the envelope enclosing said container. The series wires 20 fused into a glass bead fused to the connected incandescent filament is mounted in a the leads for said electrode H and said disc I3.

plane substantially at right angles to the longi- Said filament I9 is circular in shape and is 35 tudinal axis of the container of the discharge mounted about said container 2 in a plane subdevlce. I have found by actual use that the life stantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of a. lamp unit has a longer operating life and a of said container 2. The longitudinal axis of better light distribution than similar lamp units said container 2 is at an acute angle to the wherein the longitudinal axis of the container is longitudinal axis of said envelope I. 40 coincident with the longitudinal axis of the en- The container 2 has a gaseous filling therein velope or at right angles thereto. comprising a starting gas, such as neon or argon,

In the drawing accompanying and forming and a vaporizable material such as mercury, part of this specification an embodiment of the cadmium, or one of the alkali metals, such as 5 invention is shown in a front elevational partly sodium. The envelope I is either evacuated or sectional view, but as such illustration is prifilled with an inert gas having poor heat conmarlly for purposes of disclosure it will be unductivity characteristics in accordance with the derstood, of course, that numerous changes in well known incandescent lamp practice. The the form and details of the device and in its use envelope l is a heat conservator for said conand operation may be made by those skilled in tainer 2 and said container 2 is at an elevated 50 the art without departure from the spirit and temperature during the operating period of the scope of the invention. lamp unit. The vaporizable material is thus at Referring to the drawing the new and novel an efiective vapor pressure during this period. I lamp unitcomprisesa. gaseous electric discharge The high current density in the discharge path,

device having a tubular container 2 mounted in made possible by the use of electron emitting 55 electrodes l0 and H, also aids in maintaining said container 2 at an elevated temperature.

When potential is applied to the above described lamp unit current flows first through the current supply lead l8, support wire [1, the filament I9, support wire 6, electrode ll, auxiliary electrode 13, the lead IS, the resistance 16 to the other current supply lead I. As soon as the discharge path between the main discharge supporting electrodes has been sufficiently ionized by the auxiliary discharge between said electrodes l2 and I3, the main discharge starts in the device and current then flows through the filament IS, the lead 6, the electrode H, the electrode ID, the lead 5, the lead I and to the contact 8 of the socket 9. The auxiliary discharge is thus in parallel with the main discharge and ceases entirely or is very weak during the operation of the lamp device due to resistance IS. The heat of the main discharge in the gas vaporlzes the vaporizable material in said container 2 which vapor then participates in the discharge. The light emitted by the lamp unit is a mixture of the light emitted by the incandescent filament l9 and the gaseous electric discharge device.

A lamp unit having the above'described structure has a long, useful operating life and the light emitted thereby is utilized to better advantage than in prior devices of this type. When desired the container 2 and the envelope 1 are made of a material which transmits ultra-violet radiations, such as quartz. While I have shown the container 2 as being in a plane passing through the pinch part 3 of the stem 4 it will be understood of course that said container 2 can be out of this plane, when desired.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:--

1. A lamp unit comprising in combination an envelope, an incandescent filament and a gaseous electric discharge lamp device mounted in said envelope, said lamp device comprising a straight, sealed, tubular container having electrodes mounted axially therein adjacent each end thereof and having a gaseous atmosphere therein, the longitudinal axis of said container being at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said envelope, said filament being mounted in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said discharge device, said discharge device and said incandescent filament being connected in series.

2. A lamp unit comprising in combination an envelope, an incandescent filament and a gaseous electric discharge lamp device mounted in said envelope, said lamp device comprising a straight, sealed, tubular container having electrodes mounted axially therein adjacent each end thereof and having a gaseous atmosphere therein, the longitudinal axis of said container being at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said envelope, said filament being mounted in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said discharge device and being located between the ends of said discharge device, said discharge device and said incandescent filament being connected in series.

3. A lamp unit comprising in combination a sealed envelope, a gaseous filling therein and a gaseous electric discharge lamp device mounted in said envelope, said lamp device being completely enclosed by said envelope and comprising a straight, sealed, tubular container of vitreous material having an axially protruding seal at each end thereof, solid, thermionic electrodes mounted axially therein adjacent each end thereof, an annular member interposed between said electrodes and axially mounted in said container to guide a constricted arc discharge away from the walls of said container and a gaseous atmosphere in said container, the longitudinal axis of said container being at an acute angle with respectto the longitudinal axis of said envelope to facilitate cooling of said seals by convection currents during the operation of the device.

4. A lamp unit comprising in combination a sealed envelope, a gaseous filling therein and a gaseous electric discharge device mounted in said envelope, said lamp device being completely enclosed by said envelope and comprising a straight, sealed, tubular container of vitreous material having an axially protruding seal at each end thereof, solid thermionic electrodes mounted axially therein adjacent each end thereof and having a gaseous atmosphere therein, the longitudinal axis of said container being at an acute angle 

